The Redskins have concluded their three-week stint in Richmond and return to Ashburn on Thursday for a morning practice.

With 16 practice days and one preseason game in the books, here are five players who have work to do to show they will be ready to contribute by the season opener on Sept. 7 in Houston – or in a few cases make the final roster at all. That decision comes on Aug. 30.

Redskins president/general manager Bruce Allen said on Tuesday that his team has about $2 million of salary-cap space remaining as the season draws near. That could lead to some difficult decisions as final roster spots…

“That is close,” Allen said. “Obviously, we’re going to have some injuries during the year that will eat that up. We’re going to make those adjustments and look at different options after the third preseason game.”

No word yet on what those options are. Allen spoke to reporters at the close of the team’s annual training camp in Richmond. Allen praised the city of Richmond for hosting the organization for three weeks. It was the second year in a row the Redskins have held camp at the Bon Secours training facility.

Aug. 12: Training Camp Over for Redskins, But Work Far from Finishedby Brian McNally

School is not exactly out for summer.

The Redskins broke training camp in Richmond on Tuesday with a light morning practice. That alone was cause for excitement among players, coaches, staff and reporters after three weeks spent in Virginia’s capital city.

But their work goes on when the team returns to Ashburn to continue its preseason preparations for the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans. Wednesday is an off day followed by three practices in a row. Washington faces Cleveland next Monday night in its second preseason game. The basic structure won’t change much, however, according to coach Jay Gruden, even if training camp itself is done for another year.

Redskins tight end Jordan Reed returned to the practice field on Tuesday after fighting an illness since last Saturday, but did only light conditioning drills.

Reed is expected to participate fully in practice on Thursday back in Asburn. Washington coach Jay Gruden said it was either food poisoning or a viral illness that kept Reed off the field.

Either way, he’s feeling better just one day after again vomiting on his way to practice. Meanwhile, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, defensive end Jarvis Jenkins, center Kory Lichtensteiger and wide receiver Santana Moss were given the day off.

Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson is expected to play next Monday against the Cleveland Browns.

Jackson has been out with an ankle injury since Aug. 6. He was originally hurt during a walk-through practice the day before a preseason game against the New England Patriots. But he looked better during Monday’s final full practice at training camp in Richmond.

Meanwhile, tight end Jordan Reed missed his third consecutive practice with what’s been called a viral illness. It hasn’t improved, however. Gruden insisted the symptoms were not concussion related.

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall left practice in a motorized cart on Sunday after suffering a back injury, according to coach Jay Gruden.

Washington’s starting left corner is coming off one of the best seasons of his career at age 30, but he fell hard during a play at Sunday’s morning practice and sustained a bad bruise. Hall was covering wide receiver Andre Roberts during one-on-one drills in the end zone and fell on a fade pass.

After being treated, he left the field in a cart and struggled to walk under his own power into the locker room.

Training camp is not all about football for Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

On Saturday, Griffin had two young cancer survivors, Evan Washo and Vincent Silver, Jr., autograph a pair of his own cleats. He said he will send the two teenagers a pair of signed cleats in return.

On Sunday, Griffin hosted Jamia Johnson, an 18-year-old from Lusby, Md., through the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic chapter. Johnson, who received a kidney transplant in 2013, beat her hero in a foot race and they played catch. She was also asked to sign Griffin’s jersey. Jamia’s brother, Jamani, was also in attendance.

The Redskins signed defensive end Jason Hatcher to rush the quarterback and he is finally moving closer to that goal.

Hatcher returned to the practice field on Saturday, seven weeks after left knee surgery. He was removed from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Hatcher only appeared for a limited time during individual drills and must work his way back into team drills. But the goal is still to have him ready for the Aug. 18 preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.

Redskins running back Chris Thompson sat out practice on Saturday with an ankle injury and could miss next Monday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns.

Thompson, 23, is in a fight to earn a roster spot against 2014 draft pick Lache Seastrunk, reserve Evan Royster and college free agent Silas Redd. Alfred Morris and Roy Helu have the top two spots at that position locked up.

The Redskins got what they needed out of Thursday’s 23-6 preseason victory over the New England Patriots at FedEx Field.

They left the field relatively healthy. They saw good things from the running backs competing for the final roster spots and received a strong opening drive from the starters. The tackling, such a disaster last year, was much better. About the only bad thing?

It was nothing more than a walk through and in the end it might mean little. But the Redskins were still chagrined to see wide receiver DeSean Jackson hobble off the field on Wednesday during a joint practice with the New England Patriots.

Jackson “got cleated” on a slant pattern over the middle, according to Washington coach Jay Gruden. He limped off the field and went into the trainers’ tent, where he remained for several minutes receiving treatment.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been in the spotlight so long, it is hard to remember the young version now.

That kid was just 23, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan. There was no way to know he’d become one of the game’s great quarterbacks, no sense that a football genius had arrived. The hype that has greeted Robert Griffin III during his first two seasons with the Redskins? It spared Brady. He is thankful.

“I was pretty under the radar when I was a younger player,” Brady said. “I think the news cycle is different now and there is so much pressure for the young guys. The spotlight is so bright and these younger players have an opportunity to develop and there are less practices now and less time they can spend at the facility, so there are different challenges that they’re facing and the competition always finds a way to even itself out.”

Safeties Ryan Clark and Phillip Thomas also sat out team drills. Clark left early with a hamstring strain and Thomas only participated in individual drills with the same injury. Cornerback Richard Crawford, who tore multiple ligaments in his left knee last preseason, landed hard on that same knee during 7-on-7 drills and had to be helped off the field by trainers. He later returned, however, and coach Jay Gruden said there was no word from team doctors yet on his status.

Those were the biggest injury issues of the afternoon practice. Garcon, Clark and Thomas are all likely to miss the preseason opener on FedEx Field against the Patriots on Thursday. The two teams will meet one more time on Wednesday before breaking camp and heading back to Washington for that preseason opener. Wednesday’s sessions, according to Gruden, will not feature full pads like the last two days have. Instead, it will be just shells.

“You can’t underestimate the reps that we got today and [Monday],” Gruden said. “Situational. Third down and short, third down and medium, third down and long, red zone opportunities. We had some ‘move the ball’ opportunities. We had two-minute [drills] three or four times. We had to use a timeout….That was great work for everybody involved.”

Aug. 4: Redskins’ Rice Jr. Placed on IR After Shoulder Injury

Jerry Rice Jr. has been placed on injured reserve after tearing the labrum in his left shoulder at Washington Redskins training camp.

The Redskins initially designated Rice as “waived-injured.” He was moved to IR on Monday after clearing waivers.

The Redskins replaced Rice on the roster by signing defensive lineman Jeremy Towns, an undrafted rookie from Samford.

Rice was hurt last week when he fell on his shoulder while trying to catch a pass in the end zone.

Rice was undrafted out of UNLV. His father played 20 NFL seasons and is in the Hall of Fame.

For 11 days they had seen the same faces in the meeting room and on the practice field.

After hours and hours together, established veterans simply trying to get their work in, younger players and long shots scrapping for a precious roster spot, it all becomes tiresome. But on Monday morning the Redskins saw a different look when the New England Patriots arrived in Richmond for three days of joint practices.

The play looked great, a classic read option run that Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III used to devastating effect two years ago.

Things aren’t always what they seem, though, as teams work out the kinks in preseason.

A busted play at Wednesday’s practice in Richmond turned into a nice first down gain to the left side and could have been a touchdown had Griffin not listed out of bounds briefly.

“That wasn’t even a zone read play. Coach [Jay Gruden] asked me what the hell I was doing,” Griffin said. “‘I saw something coach.’ That’s just what it was. But I know what you mean about the zone read. It’s a part of every quarterback who can move around a little bit. Everybody’s run it, from Aaron Rodgers all the way down the list.”

There is a price to pay for a physical training camp like the one employed by the Redskins this summer.

Minor injuries will likely start to pile up. On Monday morning, in full pads for the first time, wide receiver Pierre Garcon made a few catches and then sat out the rest of the morning with hamstring soreness.

Reserve cornerback Courtney Bridget, a long shot to make the final roster, left the field and needs an MRI on his shoulder.

Reserve running back Evan Royster has a hamstring strain, too. That happened on the first day of camp last Thursday on a wet field. He hopes to return to the field on Wednesday and needs to do so in a crowded race for the final spots at running back.

July 28: Redskins Linebacker Everette Brown: From the Patio to the Practice Fieldby Brian McNally

Everette Brown was home alone, his wife working at their smoothee store in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon. Sitting outside on the patio, the phone rang. It was the Redskins. Could he come in for a visit? Was he in shape?

Yes and yes. Seven hours later, Brown was in Richmond. His wife marveled at how he received the opportunity so calmly. She was jumping around the house. But Brown, 26, had been waiting for the phone to ring all offseason. This was another shot for a player drafted by Carolina in 2009, but who has played for three teams in all and finished last season with Dallas.

By Monday morning at 6:30 a.m., Brown went through a workout with coaches. He signed paperwork, passed a physical, was fitted for his pads and headed straight to a training camp practice at 8:35 a.m. He never even had a chance to look at the playbook. That will happen on Tuesday, a scheduled off day for the rest of the team.

“It was a whirlwind,” Brown said.

Brown is a pass rusher at defensive end and outside linebacker, a prospect once impressive enough out of Florida State to get drafted in the second round by the Panthers. But things haven’t worked out the way he’d hoped.

He’s a long shot to make the roster anyway. Washington is going to give Brown a shot at outside linebacker, a position he’s played before in similar 3-4 systems like the one run by the Redskins. He’s also played defensive end in 4-3 systems. Washington cut outside linebacker Brandon Jenkins on Sunday.

“I’m the type of person, I like to know where I’m going,” Brown said of the long wait for a training camp invite. “But when you don’t have that luxury, you just have to prepare so when you do get the call you’re ready to take advantage of it.”

July 26: Redskins RB Chris Thompson Again in Fight to Make Final Rosterby Brian McNally

The numbers are working against Redskins running back Chris Thompson.

Alfred Morris is the clear starter, Roy Helu Jr. an established backup and, early in training camp, coach Jay Gruden expressed his admiration for fullback Darrel Young. While Evan Royster is fighting a hamstring strain, that still leaves 2014 draft pick Lache Seastrunk in the mix for what is likely one last spot at running back.

The pads came on for the first time at training camp on Saturday and the Redskins were ready.

Linebacker Brian Orakpo and offensive tackle Trent Williams squared off a few times in one-on-one drills. There was some dispute about which player got the better of the matchups, though Williams won the final battle decisively. It’s all part of the progression toward the regular season.

Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett was the most prominent member of last year’s staff retained after the dismissal of former head coach Mike Shanahan.

The obvious question: What would that mean for the defense going forward? So far, at least, Haslett’s players sense a man more at ease with the schemes he’ll employ this season. Washington is still running a base 3-4 defense. That won’t change. But there are a variety of ways to employ it.

July 25: Can Redskins Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson be More Than a Deep Threat?by Brian McNally

DeSean Jackson is a freak. Watch him on television and his pure speed is obvious as he burns past opposing corners. Remember that Monday Night Football disaster at FedEx Field in 2010 when Jackson caught an 88-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage as the Eagles crushed Washington 59-28?

But a view from ground level a few feet away at training camp shows just how quick the Redskins’ new wide receiver really is. That’s the type of weapon Washington hasn’t had in recent years, if ever. It has one now.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden had heard the stories. He knew cornerback DeAngelo Hall’s reputation as a brash presence who didn’t always live up to his own healthy self confidence.

“I did hear about DeAngelo a little bit, some of the reputation, some of the things that happened, the attitude that he has” Gruden said. “But as a cornerback, you kind of want some of that attitude, that cockiness, that confident air about you. As long as it doesn’t affect your play. He’s proven the last few years that it doesn’t affect his play and I think he’s calmed down a little bit.”

Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has a mended knee and a full offseason of work behind him. Gone are the questions about a contentious relationship with his coaches, about when he’s going to play, about who was going to make that decision.

Last summer at training camp in Richmond, a pure circus of an offseason continued. With three games left in the regular season, Washington shut down its star quarterback to protect him for the future. With the focus reduced now, as much as it can be for an NFL quarterback, Griffin has worked on becoming a better leader in the locker room. That wasn’t a natural skill in his first two years in the league.

“I think [Griffin] is becoming a pro,” said teammate DeAngelo Hall. “He’s been in this league, this will be his third year. He has had highs, he has had lows. He’s probably came in here and said the wrong thing a time or two. He understands that and he’s learned from those mistakes. He’ll be better about that that’s growing him into the person he is right now.”

It could have been interpreted as a bad omen to begin the 2014 season. As the Redskins took the field for the start of training camp on Thursday morning, clouds spit heavy rain down upon them.

It was an image that would have fit perfectly during last year’s disastrous 3-13 season campaign. But Redskins players don’t want to think much on that. They have a fresh start under a new head coach and, for now, that’s all that matters.

“Just starting the football season up again,” said offensive tackle Trent Williams, beaming after finishing that first practice. “That smell, that fresh cut grass when you walk out here, man, there’s no feeling like it.”

Redskins coach Jay Gruden and his team are ready for training camp, which begins with a Thursday morning practice. But four players will not take part.

Defensive end Jason Hatcher, a top free agent signee this past offseason, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on June 20. Signed to a four-year, $10.5 million contract, Hatcher was hopeful he’d be ready for the start of camp because Dr. James Andrews, his surgeon, found no major damage.

“It’s old stuff, man. I don’t know a particular play, but I don’t want to go into the season 80 percent,” Hatcher said last month. “I want to be 100 percent, so I can be the best Hatch for this football team, for this defense, so I can help our team get better.”

With training camp underway in Richmond, it’s time for Redskins fans to get ready for the upcoming NFL season. Here are some new Redskins players to watch as the team inches closer to the 2014 season.

5) A linebacker from Stanford, Trent Murphy was Washington’s first pick in the 2014 Draft and the 47th overall selection. He led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 15 sacks and earned All-Pac-12 first team honors during his senior season. The Redskins are hoping he can help bolster the team’s linebacker corps. Full List